The instant disclosure relates to the collection and disposal of waste. In particular, the instant disclosure relates to a receptacle for the secure collection and disposal of controlled and non-controlled substances, such as pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications.
Under the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 (the “Disposal Act”), ultimate users are allowed to deliver their pharmaceutical controlled substances to others for disposal pursuant to implementing regulations promulgated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”). See Disposal of Controlled Substances, 79 Fed. Reg. 53520 (Sep. 9, 2014), which is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
These DEA regulations permit, inter alia, the use of collection receptacles for the disposal of controlled substances. They also prescribe certain characteristics of such receptacles. The regulations do not, however, fully address the potential for such receptacles to overflow, thereby subjecting consumers and collectors to the risk of potentially harmful substances and/or medical waste. The regulations also do not address the impact of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPPA”) in regards to the confidentiality of healthcare information.
Nor do extant receptacles address this potential problem. Indeed, in extant receptacles, one can only determine that the receptacle is full by either a visual inspection of the receptacle's contents or by accidentally discovering that the receptacle is full upon attempting to deposit more waste therein.